Coward or Brave Warrior?
Jun. 20th, 2005 04:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
apparentparadoxI just finished reading "The Flight of the Creative Class" by Richard Florida. Many things in the book got me thinking, but one point really hit home. He argues that some of the behaviors the US has engaged in recently (esp. since 9/11) has made the US antagonistic to "creative people". He cites instances where foreign scientists aren't allowed into the US to attend conferences, and things like that. The main purpose of the book (other than to get people to recognize some of the problems) is what the US might want to do to improve things.
That lead me to thinking more about where to live. Mark & I have been uncomfortable with many of the things going on in the US and California over the past years. We've discussed moving -- either to someplace else in the US or even to another country, but haven't really pursued it.
It bothers me strongly that I live in a place (state, country) where my relationship is deemed second-class. It bothers me that my tax dollars go to pay for things that I don't agree with.
But, here is the big dilemma that I have: am I being a coward or a brave warrior?
In some ways, I'm a coward by staying in the US, implicitly supporting a society that I don't really like. It would be braver by far to follow the example of the pioneers and to strike out into a new place, to leave my comfortable existence.
In other ways, though, leaving might be the coward's way out. It might be braver to stand and fight, to work to change the system from within.
Such a paradox: no matter what I do, I could consider myself a coward or a brave warrior!
That lead me to thinking more about where to live. Mark & I have been uncomfortable with many of the things going on in the US and California over the past years. We've discussed moving -- either to someplace else in the US or even to another country, but haven't really pursued it.
It bothers me strongly that I live in a place (state, country) where my relationship is deemed second-class. It bothers me that my tax dollars go to pay for things that I don't agree with.
But, here is the big dilemma that I have: am I being a coward or a brave warrior?
In some ways, I'm a coward by staying in the US, implicitly supporting a society that I don't really like. It would be braver by far to follow the example of the pioneers and to strike out into a new place, to leave my comfortable existence.
In other ways, though, leaving might be the coward's way out. It might be braver to stand and fight, to work to change the system from within.
Such a paradox: no matter what I do, I could consider myself a coward or a brave warrior!